The National Rifle Association is an organization that supports the 2nd Amendment, not one that murders people.

In the history of the NRA, there has never been a member that was a mass shooter.

Since 1871, the NRA has been in existence.  The NRA was founded as an organization to advance rifle marksmanship, and continues to teach firearm knowledge and safety.

Today, the NRA has 5 million members, and is one of the most influential political organizations.

The NRA’s political influence began in 1934, when they set up their their Legislative Affairs Division, which sought to inform members of any upcoming laws regarding weapons, as well as providing analysis and facts on said laws.

It was the policy of the NRA to lobby for tougher gun control, as they supported the 1934 National Firearms Act, and that policy continued until the 1970s with the 1967 Mulford Act in California.

It was not until the early 1970s when the NRA became what we know today. Kenyon Ballew, an NRA member, was shot and paralyzed during a house raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The NRA claimed that Ballew’s rights were violated, and drastically changed their platform.

Since then, the NRA has viewed attempts of gun control as a danger to the Second Amendment, and has spent millions lobbying in Congress. The NRA spends roughly $3 million of their $250 million operating budget a year on lobbying.

In wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the NRA has faced a new wave of backlash. While the NRA is no stranger to criticism, this is a new type of retaliation.

Several companies have cut off their ties with the NRA, including Delta Airlines, Enterprise, and United Airlines.

In recent protests, survivors of Stoneman Douglas have taken the spotlight. Emma Gonzalez, 17, delivered a speech at an anti-gun protest, placing the blame on President Trump and the NRA.

“If the president wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy, and how it should never have happened, and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I’m going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association,” she said. “But hey, you want to know something? It doesn’t matter, because I already know: $30 million. … To every politician who is taking donations from the NRA, shame on you!”

While what Gonzalez went through was tragic, it does not make her an expert on public policy.

The tragedy at Stoneman Douglas should not overlook the many massive failures that occurred on many levels.

Scot Peterson, a school resource officer, was assigned to Stoneman Douglas. His duty was to protect the lives of those inside. While Nikolas Cruz was inside the building, taking the lives of innocent students, Officer Peterson failed to enter the building, and failed at his duty.

The Broward County Sheriff’s received 23 calls between 2010 and 2016 from the home of Nikolas Cruz. Officers were sent to Cruz’s house once to quell a fight between Cruz and his mother, and the officer even noted that the teen was suffering from mental illness.

The FBI had received multiple tips about Cruz and his behavior. His social media accounts were full of content saying he wanted to be a “professional school shooter.”

The events that occurred at Stoneman Douglas are some that should never happen. If the FBI and the Broward County Sheriff’s Department had done their jobs correctly, Nikolas Cruz could have been stopped before he took the lives of 17 people.

The failure for Stoneman Douglas should be  directed toward the FBI and Broward County Sheriff’s department, not the NRA.